They came from all over the band hall: percussion, brass, wind. Now, four girls have banded together to make the Yorktown Wildcat Color Guard.

"It gives us a chance to find out more about each other," said the guard's captain, Shannon Flores, 16. "If we were just in band, we might not have talked."

The color guard girls said they came into the season as two pairs of friends instead of the quartet they are now. Shannon and Nicole Martinez were a duo, and Kelsey Lynch and Kameryn Browning were pals.

But together, the girls have picked up a whole new skill set, learning from trial and error how to twirl, twist and toss their flags.

"We've all learned to work as a team. If one person messes up, you can help them," Kelsey, 14, said.

Being on the color guard is unlike any other activity in high school, they said.

While Nicole said she liked that color guard offered the opportunity to get creative and develop routines to perform in front of Wildcat fans, Kameryn called the guard a fun experiment.

"You want to experience something different in high school," Kelsey added.

Band Director Gretchen Bloebaum said picking up the flags is like learning a new instrument, so the color guard puts in extra hours to make this year's "Classic Rock" show what it is.

"They're all four fun kids, and they really add that burst of energy and color that we wouldn't have with just the playing and the marching," she said.

Shannon summed it up, saying the Yorktown Wildcat Color Guard - the mighty four of them - have enjoyed the opportunities their small team has allowed.

"It's a fun, new way to learn about people and have a family away from home," she said.